Police shot to death a lone gunman who killed six members of a Sikh temple and wounded a police officer Sunday in Oak Creek, Wis. Above, temple members await word on the fate of others in the Sikh community. The FBI is investigating the incident as a "domestic terrorist-type incident," police say.

Local Sikhs express shock over Wisconsin shootings

By James Nani

Times Herald-Record

August 06, 2012 - 2:00 AM

MIDDLETOWN — Members of the Hudson Valley Sikh Society in Middletown plan to talk at next week's service about the shooting that left at least seven dead Sunday at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee.

Gurpreet Kaul, 18, speaking Sunday afternoon at the temple on Genung Street, said those who attended services this Sunday morning didn't find out about the Oak Creek, Wisc. shootings until after they left. As news spread, they began receiving calls from concerned congregants wanting information.

"I was shocked," Kau said.

Dildar Singh, the priest at the Middletown temple, said they didn't feel threatened because of the shootings, but still were awaiting more details.

Both the Milwaukee-area temple where the shootings took place and the Middletown temple, known as gurdwaras, are part of the American region of the World Sikh Council.

"We're waiting to find out what is happening," Singh said.

He said they contacted another gurdwara in Queens that had reached out to the Oak Creek branch, but there had been no answer. Singh said leaders from different gurdwaras eventually will get together when more information is available.

Middletown gurdwara members will speak about the events at services this coming Sunday.

Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Peter Donald said there was no specific or credible threat to the Sikh community in New York as of Sunday night.

Singh said people often mistake Sikhs for Muslims and thought the shooting could be hate-related. "I feel sad for the people who had their life taken away. I hope good will come out of it and people find out what Sikh is," Singh said.

Fact Box

Sikhism in brief

Services: Many Sikhs in the U.S. worship Sundays at a temple. A typical service consists of meditation and singing in a prayer room where worshippers remove their shoes and sit on the floor. Worshippers gather afterward for a meal that is open to community members, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Faith: Sikhism is a monotheistic faith founded more than 500 years ago. It has about 27 million followers worldwide. Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair; males often cover their heads with turbans – which are considered sacred – and refrain from shaving their beards. There are roughly 500,000 Sikhs in the U.S. The majority worldwide live in India.

Wisconsin temple: The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin started in 1997 with about 25 families who gathered in community halls in Milwaukee. Construction on the current temple in Oak Creek began in 2006.

Bias attacks: The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700 incidents in the U.S. since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, many of which are attributed to anti-Islamic sentiment. Sikhs' beards and turbans often cause them to be mistaken for Muslims.